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> Nerds continue to fail to grasp the value of UI/UX.

Or perhaps nerds do grasp the negative value of anti-patterns in UI/UX, and reject attempts to create interfaces and usage models that remove control from the user, create vendor lock-in, or compromise privacy and security.

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I think a better way of saying this is that "nerds" (i.e. power users, the type of people typically on HN) want different things out of their UI/UX than the average user. That's the beauty of having different solutions to choose from: the power user is free to use something like KeePass, where it's not as easy to use, but you can set it up exactly the way you like; and the "normal" user can go with something like 1P or LastPass for more of a "set it and forget it" model. The average user doesn't care one bit about the things that you mentioned.

Absolutely; this is the key to the whole thing. It's explained at length in the classic The Design of Everyday Things. Nerds v. normies are given the monikers "Homo logicus" and "Homo normalis". The nerds value control, understanding, and are concerned with edge cases; they accept complexity, workarounds, and the need for preparation as the cost. The latter prioritizes nearly the opposite, preferring simplicity to control, and guaranteed if partial success for the need to understand/invest time.

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